MA Graduate Program
The Master of Arts (MA) in Higher Education degree at Geneva prepares students to approach learning and working in higher education from a foundation that is grounded in biblical truth, the integration of faith and learning, a comprehensive examination of professional standards, research, interdisciplinarity, and scholarship, and love for the diverse spectrum of God’s kingdom and creation.
Through an interdisciplinary graduate curriculum and contextualized learning experiences led by supportive faculty and staff, you will learn the fundamentals of how to be a discerning professional in the field of higher education.
Cohort students—often those serving as graduate assistants—typically take three on-campus classes each semester, attending weekly classes on Tuesday evenings, in addition to a Thursday evening class their first semester and one institute class in a later semester.
This model offers students the opportunity to achieve their degree by choosing courses whenever they are offered at their own pace until they fulfill all the program requirements.
The institute model is designed for working professionals. Students in this pathway enroll in one-week, on-campus courses in the summers and take online courses during the academic year.
The Master of Arts in Higher Education program at Geneva College offers a foundational approach to learning about higher education and building capacity for professional practice in the field that is grounded in the following:
Students in the Master of Arts in Higher Education program are taught from the perspective that students in the programand others with whom they work are image bearers of the Creator. This informs both what and how we teach and learn. The goal is that our students would view their professional practice with people and view the institutions of higher learning where they work as spheres of God’s redemptive activity.
We approach learning and our professional practice with college students and colleagues with a deep sense of humility, thoughtfulness, and curiosity. We integrate faith with learning so that our thinking about higher education is filled with meaning and purpose. We acknowledge that it is by faith that we ultimately gain true knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of how we can fully participate in God’s call for our careers and work in higher education.
In the MA in Higher Education program, we aim to inspire future higher education professionals to become competent, creative, and purposeful generalists in their profession. This helps to expand the possible reach and impact of our professional practice in the field.
At the same time, program curriculum is design to provide depth of knowledge and meaningful experience in specific areas within higher education. We require all students to participate in Contextualized Learning experiences while in the program. This can be fulfilled by graduate assistantships on campus or at partnering institutions, through the professional practice of those already employed in higher education and enrolled in the Institute model, or through other internships. Contextualized learning enhances scholarly knowledge and practical professional skills in particular areas of higher education.
Obtaining your master’s degree in higher education means engaging in research-based professional practices, informed by the works of respected scholars from Christian and public colleges and universities. Students will be shaped into thoughtful practitioners, competent educators, and skilled leaders, knowledgeable in a breadth of theories and practices that inform the work of higher education and the student affairs profession.
Students in the program will examine research and scholarship from many disciplines beyond the academy, including theology, philosophy, sociology, history, human and organizational development, and more. The curriculum also encourages students to think of the relationships that higher education has with other societal agencies (e.g. church, family, media, government, etc.)
The Master of Arts in Higher Education program aims to train professionals who can discern and implement what is good, right, and true for higher education. Students will learn how to understand and respond to changing dynamics in the higher education landscape from biblical wisdom and faith in Christ Jesus.
Our hope is that students in the MA in Higher Education program learn to seek God and His word first, and to love the diversity that God has brought to being in the lives of people and institutions. Students will be equipped for lifelong missions of serving God and neighbor.
Obtaining your master’s degree in Higher Education means you earn the tools needed to teach, lead, consult, or create valuable information in the field of higher education. With a curriculum grounded in the Reformed tradition of the Christian faith, a MA in Higher Education allows you to explore new heights of success under the guidance of faculty who consider the implications of this perspective on work in colleges and universities.
Throughout our 36-credit master's program, you’ll discover how to:
To meet the MA in Higher Education’s requirement of 600 hours of related field experience, students can pick which learning format works best for them by enrolling in the Cohort or Institute Model. Enrolling in the Cohort Model means students graduate within two years, while students enrolled in the Institute Model — made for working professionals — may graduate at or after two years.
The Master’s in Higher Education requires students who enroll in the Cohort Model to engage in a graduate assistantship or practicum experience. Graduate assistantships are normally nine-month positions requiring a minimum of 20 hours a week and are generally renewable for a second year.
Students with graduate assistantships are paid a monthly stipend and receive one-third reduction in program tuition while they are employed as a graduate assistant.
Only students who have completed applications for the MA in Higher Education Program will be considered for these positions. While there is no application deadline, students are encouraged to apply by March 15 to be considered for all GA positions. Later applicants may have fewer graduate assistantship opportunities.
On campus interviews will be held March - May. For more info email hed@geneva.edu
Students may apply for multiple positions.
Apply for a Graduate Assistantship
The second way to meet the requirement of the Cohort Model is through a 150-hour practicum experience. While the practicum is an unpaid position, students will still receive a reduction in tuition. The practicum is an excellent opportunity for M.A. in Higher Education students who have outside employment, as this model only requires four units of practicum (each lasting one semester). Each practicum experience is equivalent to 150 hours and students are only required to work a minimum of 10 hours per week.
Both the assistantship and practicum programs occur in a variety of professional settings: campus ministry, career services, student activities and programming, residence life, assessment, learning support, teaching assistant, coaching, etc.
Earning your Master’s in Higher Education opens up new doors of possibilities within the workplace. Whether you decide to pursue higher education teaching, other student-facing roles, or want to expand into administrative positions, a graduate degree in higher education allows you to take on leadership, research, or consulting roles in the world of education within the following work settings:
For students with unique scheduling needs, we work with you to ensure that you can fulfill all program requirements through both models with an extended timeframe. Please feel free to discuss your situation with us.
Undergraduate students in their junior and senior years at Geneva can take up to three courses within our Master’s in Higher Education program. This 4+1.5 Program allows prospective Master’s in Higher Education students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at Geneva to see if the program is a solid fit for them. Undergraduate students that enroll in these higher education graduate courses earn credit for both their undergraduate and graduate degree, allowing them to save up to a quarter of the cost of tuition.
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Read about Liz Olosho, who is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Higher Education with an anticipated graduation date of May 2024.
Geneva College is proud to welcome two new graduate faculty members this year. Both of these professors possess a wide range of industry expertise and a strong dedication to Geneva College’s mission.
Abby Swisher recently graduated in 2023 from Geneva College’s Master of Arts in Higher Education program. During her time in the program, she decided she would research how veterans adjust to college life as her final capstone project. Abby was a military dependent herself and wanted to use her research to help other people like her.
In 2012, Jeff Carpenter graduated from Geneva College with his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, and in 2017 he graduated with his Master of Arts in Higher Education (MAHE) degree. He learned to ask the question, “How am I serving God in how I go about my life?” As he sought to find the answer to this question, his trajectory in life began to change.
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